


And Always One More Time

by RowenaSage



Category: Naruto
Genre: Arranged Marriage, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Haruno Sakura-centric, Hurt/Comfort, Insecurity, No Uchiha Massacre, Strong Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Itachi-centric, non massacre au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-12
Updated: 2020-04-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:21:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22227064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RowenaSage/pseuds/RowenaSage
Summary: Fugaku and Mikoto have decided that it's high time Itachi gets married, and since he hasn't been taking this task seriously, they decide to take matters into their own hands and consult a matchmaker for possible brides. Itachi, ever the dutiful son, is willing to go along with this, even though he has developed feelings towards Sakura. After all, he has no idea how to approach her, let alone discuss marriage! And between her work on missions and at the hospital, it's not like Sakura has much time for romance either. But life has a funny way of bringing people together...
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Itachi, Uchiha Fugaku/Uchiha Mikoto
Comments: 27
Kudos: 178





	1. Chapter 1

Itachi watched Sakura intently as she ate her soup. The evening sunlight shone through the window behind her, giving her a soft golden glow; her pink hair fell like rose petals around her face, and her green eyes shone with mirth. He wished she could stay like this forever, safe and happy and with him.  
“You’re telling the story all wrong teme!”  
“You just want to exaggerate, dobe”  
Itachi was snapped out of his reverie by Sasuke and Naruto’s bickering, which his mother and Sakura tried to diffuse while his father looked on in vague disapproval. Itachi sometimes wondered why his mother insisted on these Team 7 dinners; even eight years after they’d first been on a team together, Sasuke and Naruto still insisted on arguing at the dinner table and acted like they were still twelve years old. Mikoto insisted that it was good for Sasuke to have friends his own age, but Itachi suspected that it was just as much about keeping an eye on Sasuke’s team, and making sure Naruto ate something other than ramen for once. Of course, he’d never be the one to complain. Getting to see Sakura once a month was not something he wanted to stop.  
Sakura Haruno. At first, he had thought of her only as his brother’s teammate, no more and no less. He’d seen her only rarely, until last year when his mother had noticed Sasuke hadn’t brought his old team around the house in well over a year, and she had instated monthly dinners. Naruto was of course the same as ever, but Sakura had profoundly changed. She had become a powerful kunoichi, able to move mountains with her bare hands, and also an astonishing healer, second only to Tsunade herself. But more than that, he’d become impressed with the person she was. Sakura was not one to suffer fools, and would teach you a lesson with her fists if needs be, but he’d also seen how compassionately she treated her patients and friends; she was not only brilliant at her work, but also in her personal life, where she seemed to be able to navigate even the most difficult people (like his father) with ease. She was like the sun itself - she could be harsh, but brought light and warmth and life and gladness.  
Truth be told, Itachi was jealous. He’d never been able to be so open. From the time he was old enough to remember, and probably even before then, he’d been trained to be a weapon. He’d had to put aside friendships and happiness in lieu of honing his mind and body every day to be a more efficient shinobi. Showing emotion was out of the question, and he wouldn’t even know where to begin. Not that it mattered in any case, he mused. His feelings were of little consideration when it came to finding him a suitable wife, which his father had been bringing up more and more frequently. Sakura, while a powerful kunoichi in her own right, was still the daughter of a poor civilian family. With neither lineage nor money to her name, Itachi knew it would be all but impossible to convince his clan to even consider her. In any case, he’d never want to impose his life on her, a life of sacrificing one’s whole self for the good of the Uchiha clan.  
“Itachi-san, could you please pass the edamame?”  
Itachi was snapped out of his thoughts by Sakura’s polite request and wordlessly handed her the small plate.  
“Thank you”  
“You’re welcome”  
Itachi cursed himself for not knowing how to keep talking to her, as he watched his mother strike up another conversation with Sakura.

After dinner was over, and Mikoto had sent Sakura and Naruto off with leftovers and kind regards and reminders to come to dinner again in a month’s time, Fugaku motioned for them all to sit back down. Silently, Mikoto and Sasuke took their seats at the table again, and Itachi joined them shortly thereafter, having finished washing up the last of the dishes. Fugaku cleared his throat.  
“Itachi, Sasuke, I’m sure you both know what we need to talk to you about”  
Sasuke shifted uncomfortably, while Itachi sat very still, looking resolutely at the woodgrain of the table. Their father continued,  
“Your mother and I believe that it is time to start seriously considering marriage. Itachi, you are the future head of this clan, and the sooner you find a suitable wife, the better. We’ve taken the trouble to discuss this situation with a matchmaker, and we’ll soon have some potential matches for you to look over. Then you’ll have a chance to meet some of them and we’ll find you a bride”  
Itachi nodded stiffly and replied “Yes, Otosan”.  
Fugaku then turned his attention to Sasuke.  
“Sasuke, you still have some time before you must marry, but take this seriously. You cannot be so dismissive towards potential matches. At least make the effort to find a suitable partner.”  
“Yes, Otosan” Sasuke answered dutifully.  
After a moment of silence, Mikoto said,  
“Well, now that’s settled, I’ll make some tea. You boys are free to get going, I’m sure you both have lots to do”  
“Thank you, Okasan” they replied, and went to their respective bedrooms.  
Fugaku followed Mikoto into the kitchen and watched her put on the kettle for tea. He couldn’t understand his sons; surely it couldn’t be so difficult for them to find partners. Sasuke at least had always had girls throwing themselves at him, but had always turned them away or ignored them. Itachi, too, had his fair share of admirers, although most of them seemed too intimidated by the prodigy to approach him. Fugaku thought back to his own youth; he’d met Mikoto in the academy, but hadn’t properly gotten to know her until they were in their teens and had mutual friends. It had started out slowly, a stolen glance while out for dinner with friends, brief moments of conversation as they passed each other while handing in paperwork. Then one day he’d simply stated his intentions and asked her to accompany him to dinner. They had been married within six months and he’d never had any regrets.  
Mikoto pressed a warm cup of tea into his hands, and he looked into her eyes, dark as midnight under a new moon. He could drown in those eyes.  
“Don’t worry so much” she said with a wry smile, “they’ll be all right”  
“Hn” he replied, and they sipped their tea in companionable silence.  
\------------------------------------------------------  
Sakura made her way home quietly through the village, enjoying the peaceful evening. The golden glow of the sun, low on the horizon, filtered through the trees and cast long shadows on the ground. She felt lighter out here, and free. As generous as it was for Sasuke’s mother to invite them to dinner every month, it was also exhausting. Fugaku was a stern man, and while he didn’t seem to exactly dislike her, she still felt that she was always one faux-pas away from being disapproved of. Sasuke and Naruto were as they’d always been, constantly bickering, but steadfast friends. And Itachi was a whole other matter. Sakura was, truth be told, a little afraid of him. He seemed so cold and remote, so unlike everyone else. All shinobi were meant to put aside their emotions and become weapons, but he was on a whole other level. It made sense of course, him being a prodigy and all, but still. He rarely spoke, and even then only when it was absolutely necessary. He was polite, but so reserved and closed off. Standoffish. It was exhausting to deal with such a strange, dysfunctional dinner party, but at least it was over for another thirty some-odd days.  
At last, Sakura made it to her building, climbed the three flights of stairs to her shoebox apartment, and was finally back in her home. It was small and cozy, filled with second-hand furniture and old books and trinkets, but it was all hers. She loved her parents, but had to admit that getting her own place had been a good choice. She took off her shoes and placed them neatly in the closet, then settled onto the old, worn couch with a book. The cover was enough to make her blush, a gorgeous woman clinging to a handsome, muscular man, while they stood on a cliff overlooking the sea. Ino had given her an entire box of romance novels as a joke gift on her birthday, saying that reading them might help her to “let loose a bit and have some fun”, and Sakura had found, to her surprise, that she enjoyed them. Sure, the plots were sometimes silly, and she blushed the whole time she read the more graphic scenes, but there was something so comforting about reading them. She could imagine herself, at least for a little while, as one of the heroines: beautiful, graceful, and beloved. Sakura would never admit it to anyone but herself, but she was lonely. She wanted to be loved, to be paid attention to, and have someone who would hold her close and tell her everything would be all right. She’d had her fair share of flings, but nothing had ever come of them, and now she simply didn’t have the time. Her schedule at the hospital alone was enough to keep anyone busy, nevermind missions and training. And in any case, romance was better off as a fantasy.  
Or am I just telling myself that because I know I’ll never find real love?  
Sakura shook her head as if to shake off the thought. She wasn’t insecure. She wasn’t. She was just too busy to bother with dating. And she was an accomplished kunoichi and medic.  
With a sigh, she put the book aside, and decided to turn in early. Nothing good ever came of dwelling on these feelings. She told herself she had gotten over Sasuke years ago, and it was true - but the repeated rejections still burned in her chest. Why wasn’t she good enough? She had tried to give her heart again and again, only to have it discarded. It stung. Other boys had indicated their interest, but she had always been more withdrawn, more careful. Sasuke knew the real her - they had trained together, gone on missions together, celebrated over ramen together, practically grown up together. He knew the real her, and still found her lacking. And if she was honest with herself, she feared letting in anyone else and being so disappointed again.  
Some people say it’s better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all. But I’ve loved and lost, and I think I’m better off not trying again.  
\------------------------------------  
Itachi made his way to the garden silently, intending to sit amongst the plants and think. It was sunset, and while he’d tried to distract himself with scrolls, he knew that was of no use. No scroll was going to distract him from the reality of the situation at hand.  
Married. He had to get married, and in the foreseeable future, likely to a stranger. It was all well and good for his father to talk about “finding a suitable wife”; Fugaku and Mikoto had been a love match, true, but luckily Mikoto was not only a distant Uchiha cousin, but her family had been quite well off. She’d had both money and lineage on her side, while Sakura had neither. And there was no one else Itachi had ever been interested in. He wasn’t sure if he should be embarrassed at being a 25 year old man who had never so much as kissed anyone, but it wasn’t as though it was for lack of options. He knew there were girls even at the academy who would have been interested, but he had always been so focussed on protecting Sasuke and the village that something like romance had seemed both too trivial and too alien for him to engage with. What use did a weapon have with feelings? Better to simply marry whoever mother and father presented him with and be done with it.  
At least, that had been his thinking until recently. Now he wondered if he could go through with an arranged marriage. Sharing his life and bed with a stranger seemed ludicrous. On the other hand, loving and being loved, knowing someone so intimately and being known intimately in return, baring his soul to another? That perhaps sounded even more impossible.  
Itachi noticed soft footfalls from within the house leading to the back door. Shortly thereafter, Sasuke came outside and sat down an arms length away from Itachi. They sat in silence for a time, with only the buzzing of bees moving from one flower to another to break the stillness of the evening. Finally, Sasuke spoke.  
“It’s too bad about the arranged marriage”  
Itachi sighed and turned to his brother,  
“Heed Otosan’s advice, Sasuke. You still have time to find a love match”  
“And they won’t be as picky about my wife as yours” he added with a shrug. Itachi had to agree that his brother was right; as second in line, he’d have an easier time convincing their parents and the clan elders to allow him to marry for love alone, regardless of wealth or family background.  
Sasuke smirked and added, “If all else fails, there’s always Sakura”  
Itachi bit back unexpectedly intense anger at the slight against Sakura, and replied evenly,  
“You’d do well to find someone you would want to spend your life with”  
“I know, I just meant as a last resort. She’s annoying, but I’ve known her forever and at least I’d know what to expect with her. And it’s not like she’ll be finding someone else any time soon”  
Itachi chose not to dignify that with a response, and instead waited a few moments, watching as the sky grew dark, and then headed back inside, unable to stop thinking about pink hair and shining green eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to all my readers! This is my first fanfic, and I'm excited to see it being read!

One shuriken after another hit the center of the targets. Once he ran out, Itachi collected his weapons and started over again, the rhythmic thuds of the shuriken sinking into the target breaking the early morning silence of the small training ground. Three days had passed since his parents had decided to consult a matchmaker, and Itachi had been avoiding home as much as possible, leaving even earlier than usual, and only returning well after dark. Tomorrow, he’d have to start looking through the files the matchmaker would bring, and he’d been trying to distract himself from this inevitability for days. He’d been to the Hokage Tower every day, and each day Tsunade had turned him away, telling him to rest while he could, since she had no missions to send him on yet. Resting at any time ran counter to Itachi’s nature, and so he’d thrown himself into training, willing himself to focus only on the task at hand. 

Just as he’d thrown his final shuriken of the set, the silence was broken by soft footfalls.   
“You’re late” Itachi said evenly, not even bothering to look behind him as he collected his shuriken.  
“For good reason though” Shisui replied cheerfully, “I had the foresight to bring breakfast”  
With that he sat down with his back against a tree and set down two bento boxes. Itachi joined him in short order, and realised only then how hungry he had been. The two ate in silence for a few moments, but it was not to last.   
“So, I heard about the matchmaker” Shisui remarked, as casually as if he was talking about the weather. Itachi merely shrugged. His cousin never needed much encouragement to keep talking, and Itachi wasn’t in any mood to discuss his upcoming nuptials. Unfortunately, Shisui was.  
“I guess it won’t be so bad” he continued conversationally, “Takes all the stress out of it all. You don’t have to deal with dating or the ups and downs of relationships.”  
Shisui paused, waiting for a reaction. Itachi, for his part, became very interested in his breakfast, pushing bits of rice around their section of the bento box. Shisui sighed.  
“You don’t want to talk about this, do you.” He stated.  
“Not particularly” Itachi replied.   
Shisui relented and began to eat his own breakfast in silence. Itachi knew his cousin meant well; he was trying to find the bright side to what was, at best, a very awkward situation. Finally, Itachi spoke.  
“I had hoped I had more time”  
“I know”  
“I do not feel...ready to be married” Itachi admitted. He’d never been very close to anyone outside of his family, and even then, he was by nature private and reserved. He could not even imagine what sharing his life with anyone would be like, let alone with a stranger. He thought briefly of Sakura, but pushed that thought aside. That would never be allowed to happen, and there was no point in dwelling on it.   
“Maybe it won’t be so bad” Shisui said, attempting to be encouraging.  
Itachi put aside his empty box and picked up his shuriken again. Shisui dropped the subject and followed his lead, resolving to try again later.   
\------------  
“And then, after all that, he said he still wanted to see me tonight, can you believe that?”  
Sakura shook her head in feigned disbelief, and Ino continued ranting about her latest romantic escapade. Sakura let her vent it all out while she sipped on her oolong tea. The cafe was bright and cozy and buzzing with activity. She was doing her best to follow along with her best friend’s stories, but was finding it difficult to focus on anything. She’d started her shift at the hospital at five o’clock in the morning, and had immediately come to the cafe at the end of her shift at two o’clock to meet up with Ino. She’d barely eaten during her shift, and her stomach growled in protest. She wondered idly when the food would arrive at their table, and considered whether they should order dessert afterwards.

“Sakura? The festival? Tonight?”  
Sakura was snapped out of her train of thought and looked up from her tea.   
“Were you listening?” Ino continued, “The Midsummer festival starts tonight. Come with me!”  
Sakura fidgeted with her napkin, trying to come up with an excuse.  
“I wish I could” she finally said, “but I’m really tired after this shift, and I think-”  
“So take a nap and meet me later, Forehead!” Ino interrupted, “I can’t remember the last time you did anything fun. You work too hard, it’s time for a break!”  
Sakura thought a quiet night in would be a better break than a festival, but she knew better than to argue with Ino.  
“Besides” her blonde friend continued, “it’ll be a chance for you to get out, maybe meet someone interesting”  
Sakura rolled her eyes, but relented with a tired smile.   
“All right! I’ll go”  
“Excellent!” Ino said with a grin, “And make sure to wear something nice. And put on some make up. You might not look half bad”  
“I couldn’t look any worse than you, Pig” Sakura joked back, falling easily into their old patterns.   
Their rivalry had softened over the years, until all that was left of it was the familiar teasing, but none of their insults held any real antagonism anymore. 

The dumplings arrived at their table at last, and while Ino continued monologuing about the boys in her life, gesturing animatedly all the while, Sakura chewed slowly on her lunch and tried to ignore the nervous energy that had settled into her stomach. She hoped that she and Ino could just enjoy themselves at the festival, but she had a sinking feeling that her friend really would try to set her up with someone while they were out. She didn’t mind, exactly, but she also wasn’t looking for a relationship right now. Or possibly ever. But in any case, she mused, there couldn’t be any harm in going; it’s not as though one night out would hurt her.  
\------  
Itachi watched as Shisui caught one fish after another at a goldfish scooping stall. It was a moment of relative calm in the hustle and bustle of the festival. The streets of Konohagakure were packed with festival goers, stands for food and souvenirs, festival games, and performers. Itachi hadn’t wanted to attend, but Shisui had all but dragged him along, insisting that he needed something to “take his mind off things”. As if children’s games and dango would make him feel any better about his situation. Well, all right, the dango had made him feel marginally better, but that was just typical of Shisui, exploiting his sweet tooth as a distraction. 

“Look at all these!” Shisui exclaimed, grinning ear to ear and holding up a bag filled with at least a dozen goldfish. His enthusiasm was contagious, and Itachi found himself smiling despite himself.  
“Let’s go get something proper to eat,” he continued, “we can’t live on dango alone”  
“Speak for yourself” Itachi replied good naturedly, and then followed his cousin through the crowd. 

They passed a few stalls selling sweets, then stopped at one with yakitori. As they bought their grilled chicken skewers, Itachi heard a familiar voice. He looked at the next stall over and there was Sakura. She looked like something out of a dream, wearing a soft pink yukata that perfectly matched her hair. Itachi wanted to say something to her, but felt the words catch in his throat when he noticed she was with Ino Yamanaka and two young men, one blond and one redhead. It was better for him to just pretend he hadn’t seen her, he reasoned, since it wasn’t as though they were friends. They were barely acquaintances, really. There was no need for him to interrupt what was likely a date, not that that he was jealous, and-

“Hey Haruno-san! Good to see you!” Shisui called out as he made his way over to them. So much for pretending he hadn’t seen them. Itachi followed along, wishing he had never gone to the festival. He stood awkwardly by, allowing Shisui to make the introductions for them both. He couldn’t understand how his cousin could feel so comfortable talking to anyone who crossed his path, while he struggled to talk to someone he’d had dinner with for months. 

“Motoki and I were about to head towards the main stage” Ino interjected as she clasped hands with the redheaded man, “I don’t want to miss out on the performances. You should come with us!”  
Itachi silently hoped to find an out, and Sakura unknowingly obliged.  
“I actually have to get heading home” the pink haired woman said regretfully, “I have another early shift tomorrow”  
“We were just about to leave as well” Itachi replied quickly.   
“We can walk you home Haruno-san” Shisui added with a glance at his cousin, “It can be dangerous out there all alone!”  
Sakura’s laugh was better than any music Itachi had ever heard. He wished he could make her laugh that way.   
“As if I need your protection, Shisui-kun” she replied jokingly, waved to her friend, and headed out. 

Despite her initial protests, Sakura seemed quite happy to make her way out of the festival with them, and they made their way through the thinning crowds together. As it turned out, she and Shisui had gone on a few missions together in the past. 

“I’ve just had such a full roster at the hospital and I haven’t really been needed on missions lately” she explained with a shrug when Shisui asked about her recent work.   
“Still” he pressed, “Don’t you ever get bored of the same four walls?”  
“There’s no time to get bored! There’s always something to do, someone to heal or a new technique to learn” she protested.  
“Well, better you than me” Shisui replied, “I can’t stand being cooped up.”  
“Then it is lucky we have talented medics like Sakura-san around” Itachi remarked.   
“Thank you, Itachi-san” Sakura replied, looking pleased but a little confused.  
Itachi felt butterflies in his stomach looking at her smile.   
The group neared the edge of the festival and parted ways, Sakura heading towards her apartment while the two cousins made their way toward the Uchiha compound. It took all of Itachi’s willpower not to turn around and look back to catch one last glimpse of her as she walked into the night. He imagined what going to the festival with her might have been like. They could have held hands as they wove through the crowd together, maybe shared some dango while enjoying the performances together. 

“So” Shisui remarked, snapping Itachi out of his brief daydream, “what was all that about?”  
“I’m not sure what you mean” Itachi replied evenly.  
“Ooooohhh Sakura-chan, you’re sooooo talented” Shisui teased, “what would we ever do without you?” He sidled up to Itachi and batted his eyes for effect. Not that Itachi could remember having ever batted his eyes at anyone. And he certainly hoped he didn’t sound anything like Shisui’s rendition of his voice.   
“I was only being polite” Itachi said in a clipped voice, “You were belittling her work, and I didn’t want her to be offended”  
“Oh bullshit,” Shisui said with a roll of his eyes, “as if you’ve ever cared about pleasantries”  
Itachi knew his cousin was right, and having no good response come to mind, he chose to stay silent. After a beat, Shisui tried again.   
“Is there something going on between you two?”   
“No” Itachi answered truthfully.   
“But you wish there was” Shisui concluded. Itachi didn’t bother to contradict him.   
“Are you going to do anything about this?”  
“No.”  
Shisui shot him a look.   
“And why not?”  
“I don’t think we should discuss this in public, Shisui” Itachi intoned. 

Shisui rolled his eyes, and Itachi had to admit they were unlikely to be overheard on a deserted street at night, when everyone was either asleep or at the festival. Still, Shisui acquiesced and headed towards the training grounds, which would be well and truly deserted at this hour.   
“Well, now that we’re properly alone,” Shisui said, gesturing to the empty training field, “you can explain your reasoning any time.”  
“I fail to understand why you’re so concerned about this” Itachi replied, dodging the question.   
“Oh come on,” Shisui said, “I’ve never seen you show an interest in anyone, and now, when the pressure is on for you to find a spouse, and your parents have hired a matchmaker because you’ve never so much as mentioned a girl, and it hasn’t occurred to you to bring her up?”  
“You know our family wouldn’t approve of her”   
Shisui arched an eyebrow at that.   
“They’d come around. She’s incredibly accomplished, not to mention close to the Hokage”  
“I’m the heir Shisui, her family background matters in my case”  
“So you’re not even willing to try?” Shisui said incredulously, “You’re willing to give up even having a chance with her because you think our dear old relatives won’t approve?”  
“I have responsibilities” Itachi said, feeling distinctly uncomfortable, “my marriage is about more than just my personal feelings, it’s about our whole clan. And in any case, I’m sure she wouldn’t want to deal with clan politicking and-”  
“Isn’t that for her to decide?” Shisui interrupted. Itachi stayed silent, hoping his cousin would drop the subject.   
“I think you’re scared,” Shisui mused, “You’re scared of being rejected by her, and you’re scared that if she did want to be with you, you’d have to stand up to our clan’s elders, including your parents.”  
“That’s not true,” Itachi said, getting slightly annoyed, “I am only trying to do what is best for her and for our family”  
Shisui looked at him incredulously.  
“Itachi, Sakura is a grown woman and can make her own choices. As for our family, I’ve watched you dedicate your entire life to being the best shinobi and heir you can be. You don’t owe them every aspect of your life.”

Itachi fell silent. He had never considered his life to be truly his own. He owed himself to his village and to his family, and he’d never thought much of his own desires. He mostly tried to ignore anything that could distract him from his responsibilities, and relegated his own wants to the occasional, fleeting daydream. And if he was honest with himself, the prospect of approaching Sakura at all was nerve-wracking, never mind the sting of rejection. And even if she accepted him, he’d have to face pushback and disappointment from his family. Could he really stray from the course laid before him now?  
“Shisui” he finally said softly, “Even if I made my feelings known, she would likely have no interest, and I’ve have to choose from the matchmaker anyway”  
“Or, you could argue to have more time to find someone else. Have you even told your parents that you’re unhappy about the situation?”  
His happiness had never mattered before, Itachi felt like saying, but instead replied,   
“Fulfilling my responsibilities makes me happy.”  
Shisui frowned at that.   
“It does.” Itachi said more firmly. Shisui looked unconvinced, but began to head towards home. Itachi followed, and they made their way home in silence.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took a long time to write, but I hope the characterisations are ok!

Sakura dragged herself out of bed in the early hours of the morning and made her way to the bathroom. She was tired after her night out at the festival, and still annoyed that Ino had brought along surprise “dates” for the both of them. It was obvious right from the start to Sakura that both of the men were interested in Ino, and she’d felt like an uncomfortable addition all night, tagging along in the background while her friend basked in the attention. 

Sakura knew Ino hadn’t meant for the night to go that way. In fact, Ino had tried to set her up with people plenty of times, but it never really worked out. Sakura sighed as she looked into the bathroom mirror; she could easily see why men preferred her beautiful friend. Her own forehead was too big, her figure had never filled out, and she was overall just quite plain looking. It made perfect sense she’d be overlooked. She briefly remembered Shisui and Itachi, but dismissed that just as quickly. Shisui was only being polite offering to walk her out, and in any case, he was a notorious flirt. And, she mused as she brushed her hair, Itachi couldn’t be much clearer that he disliked her, or at least disapproved of her. He’d looked irritated when Shisui asked her to walk with them, and hadn’t said a word to her during the entire conversation. He hadn’t even responded when she thanked him for his sort-of compliment! Even at dinners, he did not speak unless it was absolutely necessary, and otherwise ate in silence. She’d also noticed that he sometimes stared at her from across the table, looking somehow even more stern and serious than usual. At those times, Sakura couldn’t help but feel that she was being sized up and found lacking. She was angry just thinking about it. He was a prodigy and the heir to a powerful clan, but what right did he have to look down his nose at her like that? There was no need to be so rude and standoffish.

“Who cares?” Sakura said into the mirror, “He’s just Sasuke’s brother. His opinion doesn’t matter to me.”

She had to admit that she wasn’t quite convinced, but she certainly didn’t have time to dwell on this anymore. She finished off quickly in the bathroom, dressed, and headed out the door.  
\--------  
Mikoto willed herself not to fidget with her tea cup as she searched desperately for a topic of conversation. She had expected meetings with potential brides and their parents to be a little uncomfortable, but it had turned out to be terribly awkward. Itachi and the young woman, Kameko, were seated next to each other at the table for tea, and her parents, Aina and Itsuki Taketa, sat across from Fugaku and herself. They had already finished greetings and introductions, paid each other the requisite compliments, and had discussed the nuances of the local weather. And now they were all sitting in silence, having completely exhausted any conversation. Aina was smiling nervously as she sipped her tea, while her husband munched slowly on one steamed sweet-bun after another, and crumbs collected in his wiry moustache. True to form, Fugaku and Itachi both looked serious and calm, though Mikoto knew that was all an act. Fugaku had never been comfortable around people he didn’t know well, but he masked this discomfort by acting stern and unaffected, a trait Itachi had inherited. Kameko, on the other hand, wore her shyness on her sleeve, barely looking up from the table and fidgeting with her dark hair. 

“This is a lovely tea set, Uchiha-san” Aina said nervously, and Mikoto nearly breathed a sigh of relief. Instead, she said,   
“Thank you, Taketa-san. It was a wedding gift from my parents”  
“How lovely” Aina replied, “my mother gifted us a tea set as well”  
“A practical gift,” Mikoto added, “it is important to be able to show hospitality to guests”   
“Yes, our Kameko has been eyeing china patterns ever since we told her she was getting married soon, she’s very excited to run her own household” Aina replied.   
Kameko looked up from the floor and nodded silently in affirmation. Mikoto wished the young woman would say something, but then again, her own son was behaving no better. She shot him a look and he shifted uncomfortably, then finally spoke.  
“Taketa-san,” he addressed Kameko, “aside from hosting guests, what activities do you enjoy?”  
Kameko tucked her hair behind her ear and said quietly,  
“I practice flower arranging in my free time, Uchiha-san. And yourself?”  
“I enjoy visiting tea shops” he replied. There was a beat of silence.   
“Kameko is being modest as usual,” Aina added quickly, “she also plays the Kokyu beautifully, and is an excellent cook, you must come for dinner some time”.  
Kameko flushed, and said nervously,  
“You must not have much time for hobbies, Uchiha-san.”  
“No, I am afraid not” Itachi replied, “my work consumes most of my time.”  
“Of course” Kameko said softly.   
“You must also be busy” Itachi added, “my understanding is that you work in the archives?”  
“Yes, there are so many scrolls and reports and documents” she said.  
They fell into awkward silence again, and Mikoto gave in and fidgeted with her tea cup. This match looked good on paper; the Taketas were a small but respectable shinobi family, and some of their members had married Uchiha before. The matchmaker had assured her and Fugaku that Kameko would be an excellent match: intelligent, polite, and dutiful, with work that would keep her out of danger but give her access to inside information about the village. But it broke Mikoto’s heart to think of this match going forward, when they seemed to have no chemistry. Her own marriage had been for love, and she had hoped for the same for her sons. Still, this was only the first meeting. Perhaps another young woman would prove to be a better match.   
\-------  
Sakura struggled to keep her eyes open as she picked at her dinner. After a long day at the hospital, she had stopped by the market to pick up some groceries, went home, and was halfway through chopping up the vegetables when she glanced at the calendar and realised she was supposed to visit her parents for dinner that evening. She had quickly changed into fresh clothes and rushed out the door again, not wanting to be late and have her parents think she had forgotten. She absolutely had, but they didn’t need to know that.

“Sakura, sweetie, are you alright?”  
Sakura snapped back to attention.   
“Yes, of course Okasan, why?”   
Her mother gave her a stern look.   
“You were half asleep over your food” said said, visibly concerned.  
“I’m sorry, I guess I’ve just been working a lot” Sakura replied with a shrug.   
“That’s our girl, always doing her best, trying to help everyone” her father said with a fond smile.   
“And not helping herself” her mother added worriedly.   
“I promise I’ll get some rest soon” Sakura lied, knowing full well that she had a packed schedule for the next two weeks at least.   
“Make sure you’re taking your multivitamins. And eating lots of fruit! Make sure to take some of the oranges home with you, I always buy too many”  
“Yes Otosan” Sakura replied with a smile. He always ‘accidentally’ bought too much food when he knew she’d be visiting.   
“And get some sleep” her mother emphasised.   
“I will!” Sakura lied again.   
“All right” her mother said, then continued, “How’s Ino been? I haven’t seen her in ages”  
“She’s doing well” Sakura said, “I saw her last night, we went to the festival together”  
“Did you enjoy yourself?”  
“Did you win any goldfish?” her father added.   
“Yes, and no,” she said with a smile, “we mostly just watched the performers and ate festival food”  
“Was anyone else there with you?” her mother pressed.  
“Ino brought along a few other friends” Sakura said vaguely, and became very interested in pushing a piece of broccoli around her plate.   
“Were any of them….interesting people?” her mother asked.   
“No, they weren’t” Sakura said evenly, then ate the broccoli floret.   
Her mother sighed, but let the subject drop.   
“How’s your training been going?” her father said quickly, trying to fill the silence.   
“It’s good” Sakura said, happy to move away from the topic of ‘interesting’ people, “I’m working on some new techniques with Lady Tsunade, and I sparred with Sasuke and Naruto last week”  
“That’s great hun!” Her father said.   
“Are you still hung up on that Sasuke boy?” her mother asked bluntly. Sakura flushed scarlet.  
“No” she snapped, “that was over ages ago.”  
“All right, it’s just that he’s the only boy I’ve ever heard you talk about”  
“I’ve dated other guys” Sakura grumbled.   
“Well you don’t tell me about them”  
“I don’t want to talk about them!”  
“I’m sure Sakura will bring home a special someone when she’s ready” her father added.  
Her mother shot him a look, and he fell silent. Sakura’s heart pounded against her ribcage and she felt like she couldn’t take in enough air.   
“I have to get going” she gritted out, then stood up to leave.   
“Wait, let’s just talk about-”  
But she was out the door before her mother could finish her sentence.  
\--------  
Itachi walked quickly through the village, wanting to be as far from the Uchiha compound as possible. The whole meeting had been one awkward interaction after another, and even after the Taketas finally left, his mother had recruited him to help make dinner. They didn’t speak about the meeting as they prepared the evening meal, but she mentioned conversationally that they had arranged for a few more meetings in the coming weeks. Then, his father had had a few choice, terse words for him over dinner about “taking these meetings seriously” and “putting in an honest effort”. He had finally managed to escape after the dishes were cleared away, and had headed out into the village, hoping that a long walk would clear his head. 

How exactly was he supposed to put in an effort in a meeting like that? What could he possibly say that would make the situation even marginally better? He never knew how to talk to people he wasn’t already close to. He could give orders on missions, and received his briefings just fine, but making conversation in social situations? He’d never learnt how to do that, and he had no idea how to start. In any case, this whole scenario was only halfway his fault; after all, Kameko had said no more than he did, and seemed just as uncomfortable. She seemed like she would make a perfectly acceptable wife, and they could make a fine life together. It sounded like they both worked long hours, so they probably wouldn’t have much time to spend together anyway. It would be all right. 

Then why did his heart ache at the thought of it? Kameko was similar to him in many ways, bound by family duty and tradition. It seemed they were both quiet and perhaps more reserved than most, and he could imagine it would be pleasant enough to live together. But, he admitted to himself, that wasn’t the life he wanted. He wanted a partner who would challenge him, who would he outspoken where he was quiet, and outgoing where he was reserved. He wanted chemistry and excitement. He wanted someone friendly and bright. He wanted Sakura.

He sighed. That wasn’t possible, and the sooner he put it out of his head, the better. He decided that he might just as well head to the library. They were open late, no one would disturb him there, and he couldn’t worry and read at the same time.   
\--------  
Sakura paced through the stacks of books and scrolls, still fuming inside about her mother’s comments. It’s not like she was doing anything wrong; she was an accomplished kunoichi and medic, she was the Hokage’s apprentice, and she was even working on some new jutsu! But no, of course all her mother wanted to focus on was her love life. And bringing Sasuke into it was a low blow. Sure, she had never brought up any other boy she was interested in, but she had always been too nervous to even mention anyone else, afraid that he would reject her and she’d have to tell her family about ever more rejections. It was better to keep her private life private. 

Still, being in the library was calming her down. Sakura had always been a star student who’d loved all forms of reading. And there was something about being surrounded by books and scrolls that was just peaceful. It was always so quiet and still, and you could browse at leisure, choosing all the new topics you wanted to learn about or stories you wanted to read. It was impossible to feel stressed in a library.

Sakura turned into the next row of shelves, and immediately realised that it was very possible to be stressed in a library. Itachi Uchiha was standing a few paces away from her, browsing the shelves of medical jutsu, in the very section Sakura had wanted to go. She was in no mood to deal with him, and turned to leave before she heard a soft,   
“Haruno-san?”  
She turned back around, and he looked somewhat bemused. Sakura flushed pink; of course he’d noticed she was there, he was an elite shinobi, she wasn’t going to get away with pretending she hadn’t seen him.   
“Uchiha-san” she replied with a stiff little nod. They stood in silence for a beat before Itachi said,  
“Are you in a hurry?”  
“No, no, just browsing” she replied, “just, uh, working. On my medical research” she finished lamely, wishing the floor would swallow her up.   
“In that case,” he said uncertainty, “if it’s not too much trouble, of course, would I be able to ask you for some guidance?”  
Sakura had to stop her jaw from dropping open. Itachi Uchiha, heir to his clan, child prodigy, Anbu captain, and overall incredible shinobi, was asking her for help?  
“Sure,” Sakura replied, ignoring her confusion, “what do you need?”  
“I’d like to learn some medical ninjutsu” he explained, “but I’m unsure of where to begin?”  
“Well” Sakura said slowly, “I’d say you’d want to start with minor abrasions.” She stepped towards the shelves and began to pull a few small scrolls, along with a thin book, and explained, “Using your chakra to heal small cuts and scrapes is relatively easy, and it’s good practice for the precise chakra control medical ninjutsu requires.”  
Sakura handed the small pile to him and added, “at least, those are the ones I started with.”  
“Thank you, Haruno-san. This is much appreciated” he said softly, and his mouth quirked into what might have been a smile.   
“Of course!” Sakura replied, “And uh, good luck! Not that I think you’ll need luck. Anyway, I should get going.”  
Sakura wished once again that she could sink into the floor. Why did she feel so awkward talking to him?  
“Weren’t you looking for something as well?” Itachi asked. Sakura did not think it was possible to feel any more stuipd.   
“Well, yes, I was. I’ll just do that now.” She saw the book she needed and tucked into the corner,‘Injuries and the Nervous System’, and pulled it down.   
“If I may ask,” Itachi said conversationally, “what is your current research project?”  
Sakura was dumbfounded. Since when did Itachi Uchiha make pleasant conversation?   
“I’m looking at pain management techniques” she said, unsure of how much detail he wanted. He looked at her expectantly, and she continued.   
“Many shinobi live with lasting pain, even after an injury has otherwise healed. There are some medicines available for relief, but I want to look into how medical jutsu could be used on the nervous system to alleviate chronic pain conditions.”  
Itachi looked at her thoughtfully.   
“That is an admirable goal, Haruno-san.”  
“Thank you, Uchiha-san” she replied, “but it’s in the early stages, I don’t know if anything will come of it”  
“If anyone can do it, it will be you.”  
“I-thank you.” Sakura said, surprised by how earnest he looked. She had never seen him look like that before. He had always seemed so removed from everyone else, so cold and remote. And now here he was, complimenting her work, and even asking for her help. She looked at the way he held the scrolls just a little too tightly, and thought of how genuine his interest seemed. It was rare for shinobi to learn medical jutsu unless they planned to be medics, but here he was, trying to learn. Before she could second guess herself, Sakura said,   
“I was planning on spending the evening here working. If you wanted to, we could get a table together? Unless you’re going home, of course.”  
“I was also planning on spending the evening here” he said quickly with what was this time definitely a smile.   
“Great!” Sakura said, half wondering if she was in a strange dream, as they wound their way through the shelves to a nearby table. They settled in on opposite sides of each other, laying their respective items out on the worn oak table.

The hours passed by mostly in silence, except when Itachi occasionally asked her to clarify finer points of medical jutsu. Sakura was trying to focus on her book, but was still mostly processing her confusion. Had she been wrong about him? The man in the library, who was so painfully polite and uncertain, so genuine, was a far cry from the man she’d always known. Sakura had always taken him to be cold and severe, and had assumed he was just stuck up. But could it be that he was just shy, and maybe a little awkward? But what did he have to be shy over, exactly? He was a child prodigy, talented, intelligent, respected, and, Sakura had to admit, unfairly handsome. She couldn’t deny that she was glancing at him over her book more than was strictly speaking necessary, admiring his silky black hair, sharp jawline, strong forearms, and dark, intense eyes. Not that it mattered, obviously. He’d never look twice at someone like her, and besides, it would be weird. He was Sasuke’s brother, and despite everything that had happened, she couldn’t quite feel right about being attracted to Itachi. And she wasn’t. Not really. She was just admiring a handsome man, that was all. In all likelihood, he was only acting this way because he wanted her help. As soon as she was no longer useful, he’d go right back to being as cold and distant as ever. 

“Haruno-san” he said, bringing Sakura back to reality, “I need to get home. Thank you again for all your help tonight, it was very much appreciated.”  
He looked so honest in that moment, so open, that she could halfway believe that he wasn’t the standoffish arrogant man she’d assumed he was.   
“You’re very welcome, Uchiha-san” she said, “I’m always happy to help with medical training.”  
He seemed to hesitate for a moment, then said quickly,   
“Would it be possible for me to contact you about this in the future? I would never want to impose on your time, but you’re been very instructive.”  
“Well, yes!” Sakura answered, her curiosity winning out over her worries,“we could meet here to work on our respective projects? Same time next week?”  
“Yes, perfect. Thank you again. And good night.”  
“Good night!”  
With that, Itachi took his scrolls and turned to leave. Despite herself, Sakura couldn’t tear her eyes off of him until he turned the corner and was out of sight. She tried to get back on track with her research for another half an hour, but finally gave up when it became obvious that she was not going to be able to focus on her work tonight.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Apologies for the long hiatus, my life has been hectic since I last posted. I really appreciate all of the feedback, you are all too kind <3 This chapter is a little shorter, but more updates should be coming soon!  
> (also this has not been edited, apologies if there are errors right now, I just really wanted to get this posted) :)

Itachi narrowly dodged a hail of senbon, and launched his own kunai in response. Shisui easily deflected it and retaliated with a quick succession of shuriken. Itachi ducked behind a tree on the Uchiha training ground,then rounded the other side and unleashed his own barrage of senbon. His cousin easily dodged, then said,   
“All right, I’ve had about enough of this”  
Itachi arched an eyebrow. They couldn’t have been training for more than fifteen minutes, and they normally spent over an hour when they trained together.   
“Don’t look at me like that, you’re clearly not even trying! You’ve missed me every time, and you’re just barely dodging my attacks”  
“Maybe you’ve just improved?” Itachi deadpanned. Shisui scoffed.   
“Or maybe, little cousin, your mind is elsewhere?”  
“I assure you it’s not.”  
“Really? You’re not at all distracted by having had, what was it, six meetings with potential matches in the past three weeks-”  
“Seven meetings, actually.”  
“Right, so you’re not the least distracted by all those meetings, or the fact that you’ve been secretly dating Sakura this whole time”  
Itachi flushed.   
“We’re not dating, Shisui.”  
“Oh, really? So you’ve been meeting up with her every week, and spending a whole evening together, and I’m supposed to believe nothing’s going on?”  
“We have just been at the library Shisui.”  
“Yes. Alone. Together. Just the two of you” he replied with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.  
“We have just been reading” Itachi said tightly, his face growing even hotter.   
“Oh Sakura” Shisui replied in a faux deep voice, “you’re such a great and talented medic. I need your help specifically to learn medical jutsu, let’s start a two person book-club. I definitely won’t spend the whole time pining over you.”  
“I don’t sound like that” Itachi replied half-heartedly.  
“Yeah, you kind of do” Shisui said good-naturedly, as he sank to the ground, his back against the tree. He patted the grass next to him, and Itachi reluctantly sat down as well.   
“You can’t keep doing this to yourself” Shisui said gently. Itachi remained silent as his older cousin continued,  
“You have to make a choice. Pursue her, or don’t. But it’s unfair to all those women you’ve been meeting when you can’t give them a real chance because you’re hung up on someone else, and it’s not fair to Sakura that you’re seeing her under false pretenses”  
“They’re not false pretenses, I wanted to learn medical jutsu and she has agreed to assist.”  
“Right, I’m sure you have no ulterior motives. And I definitely believe that this whole arrangement was completely coincidental and you didn’t orchestrate the whole thing.”

“I hardly orchestrated anything,” Itachi replied evenly, but he couldn’t quite meet Shisui’s gaze. He had gone to the library with the honest intention of finding a distraction from his family and his disastrous meeting. Had he expected that distraction to take the form of Sakura Haruno entering the building a few minutes after he had? No. However, had he immediately redirected his own course to the medical section, honed in on her chakra signature to track her movements, and positioned himself in a section where he felt she was approaching? Yes. And had he then told her he was interested in learning medical jutsu, despite having no such interest when he had entered the library? Also yes. And had he   
specifically asked for her assistance multiple times, and had even been the one to suggest that they continue to meet? Also also yes. 

However, Itachi reasoned, he had only made the most of a situation that had happened by chance. It wasn’t as though he’d followed her into the library. And while he hadn’t set out that evening with the intention of learning medical jutsu, it wasn’t as if he was opposed to learning a new skill. And in any case, it wasn’t as though Sakura had any obligation to assist him. She could have just as easily said no when he’d asked for her help. He’d been nervous she would, and had been internally elated when she had agreed after all. As the weeks had passed, she had grown more and more comfortable with him, sharing little anecdotes from her days as they worked through their respective scrolls. Truly, those evenings in the library had become the highlight of Itachi’s week. Sakura always looked so determined as she worked through her research, and he admired her dedication, her intelligence, and her drive to make life better for their fellow shinobi. More than that, he loved when she told him little things that had happened at work that day, or spoke affectionately of an evening spent with her parents. She was so animated that even the most mundane topics were gripping, and he loved seeing her so happy.   
And when he was practicing hand-signs, he’d be lying if he said he didn’t intentionally slip up at times, so that Sakura would reach over and adjust his technique. The touch of her hand, however brief, always sent a jolt up his spine and made his heart race. 

“Are you listening to me?”  
Shisui’s question brought Itachi back to reality.   
“Of course.”  
“So, what’s your answer?”  
Itachi looked at him blankly and Shisui sighed.   
“See, I knew you weren’t listening. I asked if you were going to talk to your parents? About maybe stopping these meetings for now?”  
“I….I’ll think about it.”  
“You’ve had seven meetings Itachi” Shisui said seriously, “And I’m sure there are more on the way. Eventually you are either going to have to accept one, or tell your parents the truth.”  
“And what will I say to them, exactly?” Itachi replied, struggling to keep an even tone.  
“That you’re in love with someone else! That you’re just not ready yet! That you want to explore some other options! Literally anything other than just going along with this.”  
“I’ll try,” Itachi said after a beat.  
“Good,” Shisui answered, “and on another note, I have some good news for you! Tsunade-sama has a mission for us, we’re to report to her office at noon. It should take us out of the village for a while.”  
“For how long? And why wasn’t I informed of this sooner?”  
“It’s classified. If it makes you feel better, I was only informed last night.”  
“It doesn’t” Itachi said evenly, “but I suppose there are worse people to be stuck with on a mission”  
“Always so affectionate, little cousin” Shisui said with a smirk, “but remember what I said. Today would be the perfect time to ask your parents for a reprieve, seeing as we’ll be leaving tomorrow for a long while”  
“So you want me to give them the bad news, then cut and run” Itachi said cooly.  
“No, no, I just think that you should break the news strategically”  
Itachi nodded, but he couldn’t imagine how exactly he would tell his parents about this. But that was a problem for after their meeting with Tsunade, so he put aside those worries for now. 

\-----------------------------------

Sakura collapsed into a chair in the hospital break room. She’d been up since the crack of dawn and was run off her feet. She had just come out of a complicated eye surgery, and would only have time for a quick coffee before heading out to do her rounds. Her hands trembled ever so slightly as she filled her cup, and she wondered absently if it was from too much caffeine or too little food. Probably both. Just as she had taken a sip, a harried looking nurse rushed into the room.   
“Haruno-senpai, you are needed at the Hokage Tower at once” she reported hurriedly.   
“What? I have patients to attend to!” Sakura replied incredulously.   
“Tsunade-sama wants to speak to you now, she says it’s urgent” the nurse replied nervously.   
Sakura sighed, set down the mug, and nodded her affirmation. She made her way through the hospital and to the tower, wondering all the while what could be so urgent. Finally, she made it up the last flight of stairs, and knocked on the door. 

“Come in Sakura” she heard Tsunade say, and entered.   
Her mentor was seated at her desk, and to Sakura’s surprise, Shisui and Itachi were there as well. She couldn’t help but feel self-conscious of her rumpled scrubs and mussed hair. How did Itachi always look so poised and put together? Was he even capable of a bad hair day?  
“Now that you’re all here” Tsunade said, “ we can begin the mission briefing. Sakura, you were supposed to have been informed of this previously, but apparently I can’t count on anyone to deliver simple messages around here.”   
Sakura stayed silent, hoping Tsunade would get to the point soon.   
“In any case” her mentor said, “I have a classified mission for the three of you. There have been some disturbing reports coming out of coastal villages near the former Land of Whirlpools lately.   
There have been a series of disappearances over the past two months; there are currently seven people who have been reported missing within the area. All of them have simply disappeared without a trace; no note, no signs of struggle, and they all appear to have taken nothing with them. Their families and neighbours wake up and they’re simply gone.”  
Tsunade produced a dossier and handed it to Itachi.   
“As you’ll see in the file” she continued, “none of them are related to one another or have any other significant ties to each other. And given the sporadic nature of these disappearances, it is unlikely that they had some sort of plan to leave together anyway.”  
“Do we have any intel about why this might be happening?” Shisui asked.  
“There is some speculation from the locals, but nothing concrete,” Tsunade replied, “There have been suggestions about possible kidnapping or organised crime, but we have no idea about the motives. There have been no ransom notes or demands being made, no signs of struggle, nothing.”  
“There seems to be no pattern in the victims either” Itachi added as he flipped through the dossier, “no correlation of age or gender or occupation.”  
“It’s a mystery all right” Tsunade said, pinching the bridge of her nose, “and it’s feeding into a sense of panic. People don’t know who’ll be next and are starting to spread rumours of ghosts and monsters. We need to find those people and bring them back, and if that’s not possible, at least put a stop to these disappearances.”  
“How should we proceed?” Itachi asked.   
“Head out first thing tomorrow and make your way to the coast. Start in Nadamura; it’s the largest of the cluster of villages and hamlets, and it suffered the most recent disappearance, a young man named Akio. You three will go undercover as travellers passing through the villages. Itachi, Shisui, I assume you’ll be able to see through any genjutsu that may be in place; Sakura, if there are any drugs or poisons being employed, you’ll be able to counteract them. But whatever you do, don’t reveal your identities. As far as anyone knows, you are just three people passing through. With any luck, this can all be sorted out quietly. Understood?”  
“Yes, Hokage-sama” they all replied.   
“Good. Pack light and dress simply, you’ll want to blend in. This mission could last a month or longer, so be prepared to be in this for the long term. Dismissed.”  
They all bowed and turned to leave.   
“Oh, and Itachi?” Tsunade added, “as captain, I’ll hold you personally responsible for the safety of my apprentice.”  
“Shishou” Sakura sputtered, her face flushed and hot, “I can handle myself!”  
“Yes. But you tend to forget that you’re the team medic and put yourself in unnecessary danger.”  
Sakura opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by Itachi.  
“Hokage-sama” he said evenly, “You have my word that I will do all in my power to bring her back safely.”  
“Excellent” Tsunade said cheerfully, “now all of you get out, I have work to do.”  
They filed out and closed the door behind them, then made their way down the hallway to the stairs.  
“You’re lucky to have a teacher who cares about you so much” Shisui remarked, and Sakura’s cheeks flushed anew.   
“Yes, I am” she replied stiffly, “I just wish she didn’t treat me like a child.”  
“She only has your well-being in mind” Itachi said mildly, “and in any case, I have a responsibility to keep my team as safe as possible.”  
“Yes but she didn’t tell you to mind Shisui” Sakura retorted as they walked down the stairs.   
“True, but that’s only because I’m incorrigible” Shisui said brightly, “she still has hope that you’ll be cautious, she’s long given up on me”  
“I don’t need to be taken care of” Sakura grumbled, shoving open the door of the Hokage Tower and stepping into the street.   
“But I’m sure Itachi wouldn’t mind taking care of you, would you Itachi-kun?” Shisui added.   
If Sakura didn’t know better, she could have sworn Itachi looked….embarrassed? No. Someone like him didn’t get embarrassed. But he was decidedly not looking at her, and his cheeks were tinged with pink. Maybe it was just the lighting.   
“I take my responsibility to my team very seriously” Itachi said after a beat, then added, “we meet tomorrow at the gates at dawn.”  
“See you then!” Sakura replied with an uncertain smile, and turned to head home. 

\-----------------------------------  
Itachi had repacked his rucksack three times, sharpened every kunai and shuriken he owned, and was now obsessively rearranging the books and scrolls on the shelf in his room. At this point, he had to admit that he was procrastinating. This was a conversation he had to have, it was the right and honest thing to do, but he had no idea how to broach the topic, and the very thought of this discussion made his chest feel tight. He was determined to tell his parents to call off the search for an arranged marriage. It all made sense; it hadn’t worked out with any of the women he’d met, and he’d be gone for a month of perhaps even longer. It would be best to put this all on pause, at least until he got back. And a small, hopeful part of him considered what it would mean to spend such a long time with Sakura. Perhaps, by the time they returned, he’d have broached the subject with her. And perhaps she would reciprocate his feelings. And, an even bigger perhaps, his parents might just approve.   
Itachi took a deep breath to clear his head. He didn’t want to get ahead of himself with wild fantasising. It was unlikely Sakura saw him in such a light, and even more unlikely that his mother and father would approve. However, if nothing else, he could buy himself some time by calling off this search, and move forward from there.   
He put away the last remaining scrolls, surveyed the immaculate bookshelves, and decided that since he had nothing left to distract himself with, he may as well get this conversation out of the way. He made his way through the house and into the living room, where his mother was reading.   
“Oka-san” he said, “there is something I must discuss with you”  
“Of course Itachi” Mikoto replied, motioning for him to sit down. Itachi sat down on a hard backed chair and took a moment to collect his thoughts.   
“Oka-san” he began, “as you know, I’ll likely be gone on a mission for at least a month”.  
“Yes, you told me as soon as you got home” Mikoto replied, seeming confused by her son’s repetition.   
“Well, I have thought it over, and I am unsure that continuing a search for a marriage candidate makes sense, given that I’ll be away for so long”  
“Yes, I’ve written to explain the situation to the next few young women you were supposed to meet,” Mikoto said with a sigh.  
“That might be for the best” Itachi said slowly, “I think I’ve met enough potential brides, and I would like this process to come to an end.”  
“I see,” Mikoto said thoughtfully, “are you sure about this?”  
“Yes,” Itachi replied, hoping that his mother would understand.   
“Well, in that case I won’t try to reschedule with the women you were supposed to meet this month” she said, “and of course, we’ll need to write to the women you’ve already met, whether you want to marry them or not, they deserve a reply. What order should I contact them in?”  
Itachi felt a wave of relief. This was going much better than he’d anticipated. His mother was completely understanding. She was even willing to make his excuses to the women he’d met; he wasn’t well versed on the etiquette of these things, and didn’t see why she couldn’t contact them all at once, but he trusted his mother to know what the done thing was in these situations.   
“I suppose contact them in the order we met them?” Itachi replied, and Mikoto nodded. He added,   
“Do you think Oto-san will be alright with this?”  
“I’m sure he’ll understand” Mikoto said sadly, “I just hope you won’t regret this”  
“I’ve made up my mind” Itachi said firmly, “I think this will be for the best. I don’t want to be distracted on my mission worrying about this”  
“That makes sense” Mikoto replied, “and speaking of which, you should probably get some rest. You have an early start tomorrow. And don’t worry about your father, I’ll discuss this with him when he gets home”  
“Thank you Oka-san” he said and headed back towards his bedroom. His mother seemed disappointed, but that was to be expected. She had hoped to see him married in the foreseeable future, and now he was cutting that process short. But it would all be for the best. He hoped. 

\-----------------------------------------  
Mikoto sat up late in the living room, trying to continue her reading while waiting for Fugaku to come back, but she was distracted and kept mulling over her conversation with Itachi. She couldn’t believe he wanted to stop looking so soon. He really hadn’t met that many women, and he hadn’t seemed particularly fond of any of them. She had thought he’d have at least met a few more women before moving forward, but it was clear he had grown tired of this. On one hand, she couldn’t blame him. Itachi was reserved by nature, and having to meet so many new people was difficult for him. But still, was he really willing to give up a chance at real love and connection in order to simply get this over with? Was he really willing to just go down the list and marry the first woman who agreed? She knew her son was no great romantic, but she had at least expected him to have a preference about who he’d spend his life with. Well, she reasoned, he was an adult, and could make these decisions. And ultimately, as clan heir, he had a responsibility to get married and have children. And if he was all right with marrying any one of the women he’d met to fulfill that duty, then she could make no complaint, no matter how much the idea of a loveless marriage for her son broke her heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Come on, did we really think the Uchiha fam would have good communication skills???? Of course we need a good misunderstanding in here!)


End file.
